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Presented by Lisa Bishop
When you think about God, what three adjectives come to mind? Would you use the word “kind” to describe God?
The kindness of God is an expression of his love that heals wounds, reconciles relationships, and brings hope to the hopeless. God’s kindness transforms lives and as his followers, we have the privilege and responsibility to dispense kindness to people at work, at home, in our schools and communities, to everyone around us.
Kindness is not always my default, but as followers of Jesus, kindness is not a suggestion; we are called to show the glory and kindness of God through our words, actions, and behaviors.
Have you jumped on the Wordle bandwagon yet? Ok – that question is not a serious one, but if you don’t know what Wordle is, it’s a web-based word game where players have six attempts to guess a five-letter word. Several of my family members have been playing and we have created a text chain to share our results each day. Sometimes if someone gets really lucky they can guess the five-letter word in 2 tries, other times it can take 4, 5, or 6 guesses. And if you fail to guess the word in 6 tries you essentially lose the game. It’s quite nerve wracking if I do say so myself, especially when you get to the 5th try and your Wordle fate hangs in the balance. Will I guess the word in 6 tries or fall off the Wordle cliff in defeat? The stakes are higher when playing with other people who are all vying for who can guess the word in the fewest attempts.
So what does Wordle have to do with the kindness of God?
Unlike Wordle, God is not six tries and you’re out. No matter how many times you fail, falter or flub, the lovingkindness of God lavishes all who love and follow Jesus. So if you have ever felt like you have gotten on God’s last nerve or “this time he is really going to come down hard on you,” it simply isn’t true. While you may at times feel like God is a punitive God, he’s not. This false belief is something I wrestle with. I can still find it hard to grasp that God is not mad at me when I screw up. Or that he is not going to hold my ungodly words or actions over my head as leverage to get me to do better.
Now don’t get me wrong; there is a consequence to sin. When we act in ways that are unbecoming of a follower of Jesus and when others sin, there are ramifications.
The kindness of God is not a blank check for sin, it does not condone sin or give license to indulge in or overlook it.
Romans 2:4 says: Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness is intended to lead you to repentance?
God’s goodness is meant to lead you and me to repentance; a change of heart and a turning away from self to making an about face towards God. And this is not God penalizing you; it’s actually very loving of God because he knows that when you and I live in holiness and according to his perfect will, that is where true freedom and joy is found.
Sometimes we confuse the impact of our actions and the aftermath of poor choices with punishment from God. When we experience pain, frustration, failure, disappointment, and disillusionment in life, we often default to blaming God. When things do not go the way we want, we can sometimes neglect to see our part in misgivings.
Hear me when I say that not everything bad or undesirable that happens in your life is a result of your poor actions and decisions. The reality is we live in a corrupt world and our actions and the sinful actions of others have an impact. What I am suggesting is that we often have a wrong view of God. We think that he is unloving, harsh, punitive, and unkind, waiting to whack us when we veer off track. But the Bible tells us something different about the character of God.
It is super important that you and I have a correct view of God because what we believe about God will determine how we live. Your understanding of God’s nature and his disposition toward you as his child will impact how you see yourself and in turn how you treat others. So, let’s take a look at some truths of God’s character that we often overlook and the implications for you as one who has been ransomed, redeemed, and made righteous in Christ.
Throughout the Old and New Testament, we see the words kindness and lovingkindness used to describe the mercy, goodness, and gentleness of God.
Psalm 63:3 states: Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you.
And Psalm 103:1-4
Praise the Lord, my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
Praise the Lord, my soul, and forget not all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.
One of the most profound demonstrations of God’s kindness is found in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. In Romans 5:8, it says, But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
In the Gospel of John, we find these powerful words from Jesus: Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends (John 15:13).
These verses speak volumes about the lovingkindness of Christ. He didn’t just teach us about love; he demonstrated it through his actions, ultimately sacrificing his life on the cross for our salvation.
Jesus’ lovingkindness is not reserved for the righteous or the deserving. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. He reached out to the marginalized, the sinners, and the outcasts, offering love and forgiveness. He dined with tax collectors, healed the sick, and embraced those whom society had rejected. Jesus’ love knows no boundaries, and his kindness knows no limits.
He didn’t wait for you to become perfect or deserving; he extended his grace to you as a free gift. And his grace never runs out for you. So even if you are currently finding yourself stuck in patterns of ungodly behavior, God is not looking down at you as a judge. He is looking into your eyes, face to face, with the eyes of love, mercy, and tenderness. God is not a critic. Jesus is filled with compassion. He doesn’t say, “Why can’t you get it right?” He doesn’t condemn you; he says, “hey kiddo, let me help you.” Let that sink in. In what area of your life do you need to fully receive and let the unconditional kindness of God envelope you?
Your ability to receive the kindness of God will impact your ability to display the kindness of Jesus. God’s kindness is not a one-time offering. It’s a continuous, unending flow of grace and mercy. Lamentations 3:22-23 tells us, Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. This reassures you that every day, you wake up to a God who is eager to shower you with his kindness and compassion.
And as an ambassador of Christ, you and I are called to extend the same kindness to others that we have received in him.
This is hard, especially when you are treated in an unfair or unkind way. But that is why we are called to be countercultural. In a world often marked by harshness and indifference, the lovingkindness of Christ towards us who believe is a profound aspect of our faith. And as we are recipients of such unmerited kindness, we get to be agents of compassion, grace, and gentleness to everyone.
Where do you tend to withhold kindness from others? Jesus does not measure the amount of kindness he extends to us based on our behavior and we are to follow his lead. This is only possible by the power of his Holy Spirit living in you. So often we try to muster up our own strength or exercise human restraint to display kindness, but you and I need the divine power of God to help us.
2 Peter 1:3 reminds us, His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.
So can I give you a little encouragement? Stop relying on your own strength. Pray and ask the Holy Spirit for help. When a coworker is getting on your last nerve or you’ve had it “up to here” with your kids, ask the Holy Spirit to help you dole out patience. In moments when you are inclined to fire back with an unkind word to a friend, spouse, or stranger, hold your tongue and ask the Holy Spirit to help you exercise holy restraint. The Holy Spirit is your counselor and guide, so start inviting him to do the internal work in you through his lovingkindness so that you will be an overflow of his kindness to others.
Proverbs 19:22 states: What is desired in a man is kindness. (NKJV)
What we all desire is kindness. I know I do. And often it’s my pride, self-righteousness or sometimes cranky mood that wants to withhold it from others. Have you seen the Soup Guy Seinfeld episode where Jerry Seinfeld and George are ordering soup at a soup stand. George complains about not receiving bread with his meal and when he presses the issue, the soup guy with a deep sternness says, “No soup for you!”
I often want to tell people, “No kindness for you!” Because I am granting kindness based on my estimation of a person’s worthiness and that is not my right or yours. I also think that we withhold grace from people as a form of control. Somehow we think that being mean or unkind will make people do what we want them to. And maybe it will for a time or two but that is not love, that’s manipulation.
And we all do it.
In Ephesians 4:32, we are reminded: Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. God’s kindness should serve as our model for how we treat others. We are called to be agents of his love and kindness in a world that often lacks it.
In a world filled with uncertainty, hardships, and suffering, the kindness of God is a reminder that no matter what we do or what we face, we serve a God who cares for us deeply and we get to be his ambassadors of kindness doing the same for others.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to: (Therefore) be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (NASB Ephesians 5:1-2).
So, let’s live our lives in gratitude for the incredible kindness of God. Let his lovingkindness transform your heart. Share his love and grace with those around you, regardless of their background, beliefs, or actions. It is through your actions that you can reveal his kindness to the world. And in times of doubt or struggle, remember that you serve a God whose kindness is unending, whose love is unwavering, and whose mercy is boundless.